WEG:
Feeding Our Equine Athletes Abroad
By Maurine L. Webb
When traveling abroad, experiencing the foods of the local culture is always part of the adventure. The French are certainly well known for their cuisine—and fine wine—for humans, but what about all the U.S. team horses competing in Normandy, France at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014 in August and September? Clearly each com- petitor isn’t expected to bring along a month’s supply of food for their partner. So what’s on the menu for equine competitors, s’il vous plaît?
to coordinate feeding logistics for the trip. KER determined from each horse owner which feeds were necessary for each individual horse; their normal diet was then pre-manufactured or pre- mixed or an equivalent feed created by KER. All of these products
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(two to four weeks sup- ply) were shipped and delivered to Versailles, Kentucky, at least 30 days before the beginning of the Games on August 23, then shipped to France by freighter, a trip that takes approximately two weeks. In addition, the French com- pany Agrial provided the hay, forage, bedding, carrots and treats for the equine athletes. On their flight to France, which was handled by U.S.-based shipper the Dutta Corporation, to ensure the horses were kept well hydrated, each travelled with water from home.
he USEF chose Kentucky Equine Research (KER)
This meant that their own water buckets were brought on the plane. In addition, many owners flavored their horse’s water with sugar beet, apple juice or drink mix a week or two before traveling; this encouraged the horse to drink while in the air. It was also recommended that the team horses be put on a gastric ulcer preventative, a precaution since most horses usually eat less hay while traveling. Horses in each discipline received a special diet to help them achieve maximum performance during the Games. Head nutritionist, Kathleen Crandell, PhD, of Kentucky Equine Research, explains and recommends each type of competi- tor’s nutritional needs:
Dressage and Para-dressage: A dres- sage horse’s work is a cross between body-building and ballet and demands extensive muscle development. These horses are usually large, well-condi- tioned Warmbloods and are typically fed lower energy–density feeds in an attempt to reduce the excitability believed to be related to high starch
intake. Therefore, at least 50 percent of their diet should be fiber in the form of hay, haylage or grass, even when compet- ing at top level. Fiber will keep the digestive tract healthy and
Above, left column: Outside and inside a cargo plane that flies horses abroad. Warmbloods Today 17
Photos courtesy The Dutta Corporation
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